MSc — 2025 entry Water and Environmental Engineering with Industrial Practice
Our Water and Environmental Engineering with Industrial Practice MSc degree equips students with the knowledge and skills needed to address pressing challenges related to water resources and environmental sustainability.
2,450+ people have created a bespoke digital prospectus
Why choose
this course?
There’s a global shortage of qualified professionals who specialise in water and environmental engineering. Our MSc will transform you into an expert on water and environmental engineering, ready to tackle the industry’s complex challenges.
This fully accredited course is taught by experts from our Centre for Environmental Health and Engineering (CEHE), which is a designated World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for the protection of water quality and human health.
Our course is increasingly popular and relevant to the needs of future engineers, scientists and professionals in sectors such as environmental health, water quality, sanitation, water resource management and pollution control.
You'll also have the opportunity to undertake a postgraduate placement year, allowing you to gain crucial workplace experience. We’ll support you in finding a placement with a company most suited to your career goals.
Statistics
96%
Of our postgraduate taught students go on to employment or further study (Graduate Outcomes 2024, HESA)
12th in the UK
Surrey is ranked the UK's 12th best university in the Complete University Guide 2025
Accreditation
What you will study
Our MSc attracts UK and international graduates who wish to take advantage of the global interest in water quality, sanitation and integrated water resources management to develop their careers.
It will provide you with a solid understanding of the core areas of water and environmental engineering. You’ll gain the skills you need to explore, critically assess and produce systematic and coherent solutions for sustainable water and environmental management.
You’ll do this while integrating core engineering science with practical applications, both independently and within a team, developing an understanding of how this knowledge can be articulated around sustainable development practices.
We’ll prepare you for a successful career in the field, including, where appropriate, progression to Chartered Engineer status.
The structure of our programmes follows clear educational aims that are tailored to each programme. These are all outlined in the programme specifications which include further details such as the learning outcomes:
General course information
Contact hours
Contact hours can vary across our modules. Full details of the contact hours for each module are available from the University of Surrey's module catalogue. See the modules section for more information.
Timetable
New students will receive their personalised timetable in Welcome Week. In later semesters, two weeks before the start of semester.
Scheduled teaching can take place on any day of the week (Monday – Friday), with part-time classes normally scheduled on one or two days. Wednesday afternoons tend to be for sports and cultural activities.
View our code of practice for the scheduling of teaching and assessment (PDF) for more information.
Location
This course is based at Stag Hill campus. Stag Hill is the University's main campus and where the majority of our courses are taught.
We offer careers information, advice and guidance to all students whilst studying with us, which is extended to our alumni for three years after leaving the University.
Graduates of this course are in high demand, progressing to engineering roles in sectors such as environmental health, water quality, sanitation, water resource management and pollution control, for companies including:
- Arcadis
- Atkins
- Mott MacDonald
- Oxfam
- QinetiQ
- Southern Water
- Thames Water
- West London NHS Trust
- World Bank.
Laboratories and pilot plants
In recent years, we’ve invested in new equipment in our small centre facility, which primarily supports fieldwork, and in our larger, more extensively equipped microbiology and chemistry laboratory. The new equipment will enhance your learning experience during your studies.
The laboratories are equipped with advanced analytical equipment, including ICP-OES, GC/MS, TOC, an ion chromatograph, a particle counter and water quality loggers.
Library facilities
You will have access to a wide range of resources in our Library, including books, journals and electronic materials to further your studies.
Our MSc draws on science, engineering and other areas of knowledge, and the overall diversity of academic groups within the University ensures there are Library resources to help you with whatever you need for your studies.
Resource centre
You’ll have access to a limited range of textbooks, previously completed MSc dissertations, a selected range of journals and software mounted on PCs in the Catchment Modelling Laboratory or available on CD.
Professional institution resources
Library and learning resources are available at the Institution of Civil Engineers, the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management, and other appropriate professional bodies.
All categories of members of these professional institutions are allowed to borrow books from the institution libraries by post and, in some cases, to access other services online.
Jack Morton
Student - Water and Environmental Engineering MSc
"The fact Surrey is a campus university was a key selling point in deciding to come here. I liked the community feel and the fact everything is close by and convenient."
Xiaobo (Agnes) Shen
Graduate - Water and Environmental Engineering MSc
"Studying at Surrey opened my eyes to various areas of the water and environmental profession. There are so many things that can be discovered and developed in this multidisciplinary field, and the outcomes are so meaningful as they benefit the environment and public health."
UK qualifications
A minimum of a 2:2 UK honours degree in civil engineering (or any engineering, basic sciences, environmental sciences, agriculture, management, or interdisciplinary subjects), or equivalent recognised international degree.
Applicants will be considered on an individual basis, based on strength in specific subjects related to the MSc programme and/or professional experience.
English language requirements
IELTS Academic: 6.5 overall with 6.0 in writing and 5.5 in each other element.
These are the English language qualifications and levels that we can accept.
If you do not currently meet the level required for your programme, we offer intensive pre-sessional English language courses, designed to take you to the level of English ability and skill required for your studies here.
Recognition of prior learning
We recognise that many students enter their course with valuable knowledge and skills developed through a range of ways.
If this applies to you, the recognition of prior learning process may mean you can join a course without the formal entry requirements, or at a point appropriate to your previous learning and experience.
There are restrictions for some courses and fees may be payable for certain claims. Please contact the Admissions team with any queries.
Placements
This two-year MSc includes a placement year which enables you to gain invaluable professional experience working within an organisation.
After a year of full-time study at Surrey, you'll spend up to an additional 12 months on placement. You'll be responsible for securing your own placement, but we’ll support you in your search with a series of employability workshops and individual coaching.
We work closely with potential employers to help facilitate your successful placement. In addition to this, our award-winning Employability and Careers team are always ready to help, and they can provide you with a range of specialist resources and advice.
Scholarships and bursaries
Discover what scholarships and bursaries are available to support your studies.
Fees per year
Explore UKCISA’s website for more information if you are unsure whether you are a UK or overseas student. View the list of fees for all postgraduate courses.
September 2025 - Full-time (with placement) -
- UK
- To be confirmed
- Overseas
- To be confirmed
- These fees apply to students commencing study in the academic year 2025-26 only. Fees for new starters are reviewed annually.
Payment schedule
- Students with Tuition Fee Loan: the Student Loans Company pay fees in line with their schedule (students on an unstructured self-paced part-time course are not eligible for a Tuition Fee Loan).
- Students without a Tuition Fee Loan: pay their fees either in full at the beginning of the programme or in two instalments as follows:
- 50% payable 10 days after the invoice date (expected to be October/November of each academic year)
- 50% in January of the same academic year.
- Students on part-time programmes where fees are paid on a modular basis: cannot pay fees by instalment.
- Sponsored students: must provide us with valid sponsorship information that covers the period of study.
The exact date(s) will be on invoices.
Funding
You may be able to borrow money to help pay your tuition fees and support you with your living costs. Find out more about postgraduate student finance.
Apply online
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Please note that we may have to close applications before the stated deadline if we receive a high volume of suitable applications. We advise you to submit your application as soon as it is ready.
ApplyAdmissions information
Once you apply, you can expect to hear back from us within 14 days. This might be with a decision on your application or with a request for further information.
Our code of practice for postgraduate admissions policy explains how the Admissions team considers applications and admits students. Read our postgraduate applicant guidance for more information on applying.
About the University of Surrey
Need more information?
Contact our Admissions team or talk to a current University of Surrey student online.
Terms and conditions
When you accept an offer to study at the University of Surrey, you are agreeing to follow our policies and procedures, student regulations, and terms and conditions.
We provide these terms and conditions at offer stage and are shown again at registration. You will be asked to accept these terms and conditions when you accept the offer made to you.
View our generic registration terms and conditions (PDF) for the 2025/26 academic year, as a guide on what to expect.
Disclaimer
This online prospectus has been published in advance of the academic year to which it applies.
Whilst we have done everything possible to ensure this information is accurate, some changes may happen between publishing and the start of the course.
It is important to check this website for any updates before you apply for a course with us. Read our full disclaimer.
Subject to validation
This programme is subject to approval. This means that it has received initial agreement from the University and is currently undergoing a detailed final approval exercise, through the University’s quality assurance processes.
These processes are a requirement for all Higher Education Institutions within the UK, to ensure that programmes are of the highest standard. Occasionally there may be instances where the University may delay or not approve the introduction of the programme.